A member of President Trump’s Cabinet is picking up an additional job title.
On Wednesday, the president announced he had appointed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to be the interim administrator for NASA.
The president announced via Truth Social that the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, will serve as NASA’s Interim Administrator. The president praised Duffy, highlighting his exceptional management of the nation’s transportation systems, such as developing advanced Air Traffic Control systems and improving the infrastructure of roads and bridges. The president expressed confidence in Duffy’s leadership capabilities at NASA, even if only temporarily, and extended his congratulations and gratitude to him.
In May, Trump withdrew the nomination of his previous pick, tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate for former senior advisor Elon Musk.
Sean Duffy’s interim appointment occurs amidst NASA confronting a suggested 24% budget reduction for fiscal year 2026, potentially putting the Artemis program at risk of not achieving its mission to return humans to the moon.
Familiar with the public spotlight
Just hours after Duffy was sworn in as the new transportation secretary earlier this year, he was faced with his first major crisis.
Duffy recently gained recognition as a prominent spokesperson for the federal response to a tragic plane crash at Reagan National Airport, which is the airport nearest to Washington, D.C.
An Army helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet carrying 60 passengers and four crew members while the plane was landing, sending it careening into the frigid Potomac River. All on board were killed in what is considered to be the deadliest U.S. air crash in decades.
“Our new Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy — his second day on the job when that happened. That’s a rough one,” Trump said as they appeared together during a White House briefing following the crash.
“Great gentleman. Just started. It’s not your fault,” he later said.
[VIDEO BELOW: What is the future of the Artemis program?]
Here are some things other to know about Duffy:
He’s a former reality TV star, lumberjack and congressman from Wisconsin.
A former Republican congressman from Wisconsin, Duffy’s résumé includes stints as a lumberjack athlete, reality TV star, prosecutor and Fox News host.
He was featured on MTV’s “The Real World: Boston” in 1997 and met his his wife, “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy, on the set of MTV’s “Road Rules: All Stars” in 1998.
Duffy later worked as a special prosecutor and the district attorney of Ashland County in northern Wisconsin. He won election to Congress as part of the tea party wave in 2010.
When he first ran for Congress, Duffy was considered an underdog. But he attracted national attention with his campaign ads, which featured him dramatically chopping wood while donning a red flannel shirt. He told voters he came from a “long line of lumberjacks” and would bring his axe to Washington.
Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years. He was member of the Financial Services Committee and chair of the subcommittee on insurance and housing.
Fox News defender
After leaving Congress in 2019, citing the need to care for his growing family, Duffy became a contributor to Fox News and one of Trump’s most visible defenders on cable television. He served as co-host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business before being picked for the new administration.
He was one of several Fox personalities that Trump chose to fill his Cabinet, including Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary.
A father to nine
Duffy has nine children, the youngest of whom was born with a heart condition.
After announcing Duffy as his Transportation Secretary, Trump noted that “Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely, and with peace of mind.”
In his first act after his swearing-in, Duffy rolled back fuel mileage standards put in place by the Biden administration.
During his confirmation hearing in January, Duffy had promised to scrutinize Boeing’s safety issues and “restore global confidence” in the beleaguered company, as well as to hire more air traffic controllers amid a national shortage.
Duffy has also taken action to cut Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs this year as part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to roll back DEI programs across the federal government.
Duffy is not the only member of the president’s Cabinet holding an additional role beyond their usual duties. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is currently serving as interim national security adviser and national archivist.
Associated Press writer Scott Bauer contributed to this report from Madison, Wisconsin.
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